Historical Background

The Boundary Waters Treaty of 1909 is perhaps the most important bilateral agreement between Canada and the United States. Over the past century, it has provided a foundation for cooperation on shared natural resources on the basis of equality between the two countries.

Signed at a time when disagreement over the shared waterways – in several regions – could have divided the nations, the Boundary Waters Treaty established an organization, the International Joint Commission, to investigate, resolve and prevent boundary water disputes between the two countries.